The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-09-28
PISTOLS AND RIFLES.
Valuable Information About Weapons OF
Sport and Death.

Valuable Information About weapons OF
Sport and Death.
There have been pistols enough
sold in the last ten years to arm the
male population of the United States,
and if every man and big boy In the
country has not got one it must DC
because the cheap pistols don't last
long enough to be handed down as
heirlooms." So spoke the manager OF
h famous house in the firearms busl-
ness on Maiden lane.
as the demand for pistols increas-
ing in proportion to the increase OF
population"
II am glad to say that 1t is not, es'
pecially in the South, where 1t has
heretofore been the rule for the male
sex to 90 armed, and where the
crack of the revolver has too often been
the umpire in argument. The authori-
ties IN several Southern States have APP
parently seen the necessity of placing
some restraint on the carrying OF dead
ly weapons. and the preponderance OF
public sentiment Il everywhere
against the indiscriminate practice.
Texas has enacted n law imposing SIX
months imprisonment and me OF
$3.50 for carrying pistol. In Tenn
essee. Georgia, Alabama and Arkan-
sas the sale of pistol cartridges is pro-
Inhibited. The Northwestern State OF
illinois has very good law, requiring
dealers in pistols to keep record OF
every sale. and to whom sold, as
apotheca ries must do when selling
,poisons. This law, of course, facili-
tates the procuring of evidence in
cases OF murder by the use Of a pis-
toll"
"Do you approve of cheap pistols?'
I Il do not. The purchaser OF pistol
desiring a good, durable and trust
worthy weapon should not pay less
than ten dollars. and from that to
/ fifteen dollars. The vast majority OF
pistols are however, of the seventy
five cent and one dollar quality. There
| is probably no danger OF explosion in
using such weapons. They are not
likely to burst as the strain is on the
shell and at the breach, and there is
ample strength as general thing tc
prevent bursting. But such pistols
soon wear out. Like the razors Hodge
bought at shilling q dozen, they are
manufactured to sell.
do many women buy pistols?"
Some respectable women, living
isolated or under circumstances which
justify the apprehension that there ma,
be need for deadly weapon for use il
defending themselves or their proper
} ty. procure pistols. But in such case!
they arc very apt to lock the weapon
up in drawer, and not be able to sc
} ut it when they may happen to need it
} AS rule. when woman buys pisto
! she probably has some very serious
idea in her head. Under ordinary cir
cumstances the sex has no inclination
for such weapons.
THE trade in sporting weapons,
added the manager. ''is increasing. 4
good many more shotguns are sou
than rifles; and Notwithstanding tn
thir,y-five per cent. duty, English shot
, guns continue in favor, because the.
l are made by hand and have undergon
q thorough Government inspection
3 while the American weapon is mad
by machinery and is subjected to II
6 Government test whatever. A goot
English shotgun can be procured a
from $25 to $50, frst-class weapon 70
from $75 to 800, but some Englis
n shotguns are sold as low as $40 or $l5
Il Even these are safe, as far a
a bursting is concerned, OWN
G to the rigid Government in
I spection. All shotguns imported ar
8 not handmade, as there are two mar
}: ufacturers in Belgium who use m;
G chinery. American shotguns reta
}; for from $40 to $75 and 800 for til
3 better grades. the English hand-mad
e goods being able to undersell tt
e American.
q "In rifles, however. the American
l. hold the market. Their machine MAJ
" ufactured rifles can not be equaled
the handiwork of Englishmcn, at
American rifles are sold all over tt
, world The demand for sportir
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